Display and dispensing device



Aug. 22, 1950 F. w. WINTON 2,519,949

' DISPLAY AND DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Feb. 4, 1950 WWMWM Gttornegs Patented Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE DISFLAY AND DISPENSING DEVICE Franklin Wilbur Winton, Stratford, Comm, as-

signor to The Warner Brothers Company, Bridgeport, Gonn a corporation ot Connecticut ApplicatiomEcbr-uary 4, 195d, Serial No. 142,473

*4 Claims. 1

"This invention relates to a counter display and dispensing container 'for articles of merchandise.

An object of the invention is to provide .an improved upright, magazine-type, open container for displaying articles on a counter or the like, and for enabling the articles .to be conveniently dispensed'by the salesclerk when apurc'haseis made, "the said container being so arranged that .re-

moval of the articles by a customer standing in front of the container is normally nolt possible, so as to discourage pilferin'g.

A. further object of the invention is to provide .an improved upright display and dispensing container as above set forth, which has front windows so arranged as to enable thear'ticles themselves to be viewed by the customer, While at the same time the articles are effectively retained in place.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved display and dispensing device according to the foregoing, which holds several piles or stacks of articles in vertical alignment, and attractively displays the piles or stacks so that they may be viewed from different positions or locations at the front of the counter.

Yet another object of the invention is topro- 'vide an "improved collapsible dispensing device for'holdingand displaying articles in vertical .arrangement, which when set up is self-supporting and relatively stable even though it has a small total'base area, and which maybe readily folded into a relatively .small,-compact package for storage or shipment.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved display and dispensing device in folded -or collapsed condition, ananged for storage or shipping.

Fig. 2 is a 'front perspective .view of the dis- ;play device of 'Fig. 1, set up for use.

Fig. '3 is a rear perspective view of the device when set up; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the blank from which the device is made.

As shown, the present improved display and dispensing device comprises a pair of upright boxes I!) having front panels H, rear panels l2 and side panels H3. The boxes I are formed by folding the blank B shown in Fig. 4 along the fold lines indicated, in the manner well known in the art.

The blank B has tabs IA connected with a pair of side panels [3, said tabs being adhered to a center upright connector panel 15, .as shown in Fig. 3, in the forn'iation or" the:boxes lfi. At their topiends the boxes 10 are closed by flaps i5 and tabs 'll', as will be well understood. "The center panel 15 is "made approximately twiceas wide as the sides 13 of the boxes ill, whereby the latter may be folded together and superposed one on the other ass'hown in Fig. '1, 'for purposes of storage or shipping.

Connectedwith the front panels l1 and with 'the'center panel 15 are upward extensions l8 and 'i respectively, the latterhaving a pair of lateral ears 20, all for the purpose of carrying display or copy material. A fold line iZi is provided at the juncture between the panels H and I5, and the extensions 18 and 19 whereby the latter may be folded downward or forward when the boxes in are aligned with each other in a common plane. Also, fold lines 22 are provided between the extension l9 and the ears 2%, enabling the ears to be folded so as to overlie the front panels I l of the boxes when the display device is folded for storage or shipment as illustrated in Fig. 1.

In accordance with the present invention the front panels I l of the boxes 18 are provided'with relatively large, articleretaining and displaying windows in order that the contents of the boxes may be viewed from the front, and the lower rear portions of the boxes are provided with-dispensingopenings 24 to enable'the articles carried in the boxes to be removed, preferably one at a time, "from the rear of the display 'device. Also, means are provided, comprising tabs ZS-strucls. out from the rear panels #2 of the boxes and arranged to interlock with each other, for holding the boxes 'in'spaced angular relation to each other as shown in Figs/2 and "'3, the "rear panels 12 or" the boxes making an angle which 'has :a value between and 180 degrees, and preferably approximately degrees.

When the boxes H? are so angularly positioned itheyiare mutually supporting, so that the entire display device is relatively stable and will remain in an upright position as shown even though it has a relatively small base area on which it stands.

I prefer to form the bottom openings 24 in the rear portions of the boxes id by means of the following construction: Tabs 26 connected with the side panels I3 of the containers, are arranged to interlockingly engage each other, and double flaps 2'5 are formed integral with the front panels l I, said flaps having portions 23 which are folded under the interlocking tabs 26, and portions 29 which are folded back over the interlocking tabs.

The openings 24 in the boxes If], when the latter are set up, are formed by semicircular recesses cut into the side panels E3 of the boxes, see Fig. 4, the rear panels l2 of the boxes being also cut away at their bottoms and being shorter than the front panels by the Width of the recesses 24.

The improved display and dispensing device, as above set forth, is extremely advantageous in the merchandising of small articles which are adapted to be stacked one above another in vertical arrangement. After the boxes I!) have been set up or assembled, the articles of merchandise may be placed in them through the lower openings 24. The boxes may then be folded together, as shown in Fig. 1, for shipping and storage. When it is desired to display the articles, the device is set up as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, whereupon a customer may view the articles through the front windows 23, and the articles being dispensed by the salesclerk through the rear openings 24. The display device as constructed above is extremely advantageous in that it enables a customer to see the article he is going to purchase, while at the same time it discourages pilfering of the articles, since their removal from the device may be conveniently carried out only from the rear of the counter.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the claims, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A counter display and dispensing device for articles of merchandise, comprising a pair of upa right containers each adapted to carry and support said articles in a pile one above another, said containers having front panels provided with display windows through which said articles may be viewed, said windows extending over substantial areas of the panels, and the lower portions of said containers having, in their rear panels, dispensing openings through which said articles may be removed; and means maintaining the containers in spaced, angular, mutuallysupporting relation, the rear container panels forming an angle having a value between 90 and 180 to enable removal of said articles from either container in a direction directly rearward of said container without interference from the other container.

2. A counter display and dispensing device for articles of merchandise, comprising a pair of upright containers each adapted to carry and support said articles in a pile one above another, said containers having front panels provided with display windows through which said articles may be viewed, said windows extending over substantial areas of the panels and being smaller than the articles in horizontal dimension, and the lower portions of said containers having, in their rear panels, dispensing openings through which said articles may be removed; and means including a display panel extending between sides of said containers, maintaining the containers in spaced, angular, mutually-supporting relation, the rear container panels forming an angle having a value between and to enable removal of said articles from either container in a direction directly rearward of said container without interference from the other container.

3. A counter display and dispensing device for articles of merchandise, comprising a pair of upright containers each adapted to carry and support said articles in a pile one above another, said containers having front panels provided with display windows through which said articles may be viewed, said windows extending over substantial areas of the panels, and the lower portions of said containers having, in their rear panels, dispensing openings through which said articles may be removed; and means including interlocking tabs struck out from the rear panels of the containers, maintaining the containers in spaced, angular, mutually-supporting relation, the rear container panels forming an angle having a value between 90 and 180 to enable removal of said articles from either container in a direction directly rearward of said container without interference from the other container.

4. A counter display and dispensing device for articles of merchandise, comprising a pair of upright containers each adapted to carry and support said articles in a pile one above another, said containers having front panels provided with display windows through which said articles may be viewed, said windows extending over substantial areas of the panels, and the lower portions of said containers having, in their rear panels, dispensing openings through which said articles may be removed; and means including interlocking tabs struck out from the rear panels of the containers, and including a display panel extending between sides of said containers, maintaining the containers in spaced, angular, mutually-supporting relation, the rear container panels forming an angle having a value between 90 and 180 to enable removal of said articles from either container in a direction directly rearward of said container without interference from the other container.

FRANKLIN WILBUR WINI'ON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 5 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

